pH/temperature double responsive behaviors and mechanical strength of laponite‐crosslinked poly(DEA‐co‐DMAEMA) nanocomposite hydrogels

A nanocomposite (NC) hydrogel crosslinked by inorganic Laponite XLG was successfully synthesized via in situ free radical polymerization of monomers N,N‐diethylacrylamide and (2‐dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). Polymerization was carried out at room temperature due to the accelerating effect of DMAEMA. The as‐prepared hydrogels displayed controlled transformation in optical transmittance and volume in response to small diversification of environmental factors, such as temperature and pH. The compressive strength of swollen D_6:1G₆ hydrogels was as high as 2219 kPa while compressive strain was 95%. Cyclic compression measurement exhibited good elastic properties of NC hydrogels. This work provides a facile method for fabricating stimuli‐responsive hydrogels with superior mechanical property. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 876–884     

Attapulgite grafted with polystyrene via a simultaneous reverse and normal initiation atom transfer radical polymerization

The surface grafting of attapulgite (ATP) with polystyrene (PS) was established via a simultaneous reverse and normal initiation atom transfer radical polymerization (SR&NIATRP). 4‐(chloromethyl)phenyltrimethoxysilane (CMPTMS) chemical bounded on the surface of ATP (ATP‐Cl, Cl‐I) was prepared via one‐step self‐assembly. SR&NI ATRP of styrene was conducted using CuCl₂ complex tris(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl)amine (Me₆‐TREN) as the catalytic system, initiated by 2,2‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) and ATP‐Cl. FT‐IR, XRD, XPS, TGA and TEM data were consistent with the grafting of benzyl chloride groups and PS chains on ATP surface. The controllability of polymerization was investigated by the kinetics behavior under different molar ratio of AIBN and CuCl₂. The obtained polymer possessed a uniform distribution of molecular weights with a lower polydispersity index of 1.2～1.4. The relationship between polymerization on the surface of ATP and in solution was discussed in detail based on TGA data of hybrid particles and GPC trace of free polymer in solution. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1508–1516     

西北太平洋表层沉积物地球化学特征及其物源指示意义

为深入了解西北太平洋表层沉积物地球化学特征及物质来源，对大洋40航次在西北太平洋马尔库斯-威克海山区采集的表层沉积物进行了全岩地球化学和黏土矿物测试分析。结果表明，研究区表层沉积物稀土元素（REE)平均质量分数为302.87×10^-6，北美页岩标准化稀土配分模式与黄土相似，并具Ce轻微负异常和Eu无异常特征。稀土配分模式、判别函数（discriminant functions,DF）、M/I（蒙脱石/伊利石）及涂片鉴定等结果指示沉积物物源具有多源性，主要为陆源风尘物质，并受海洋自生物质的强烈影响，海山玄武岩及其蚀变产物和硅质生物也有一定的贡献。研究区沉积物稀土特征既不同于边缘海沉积物，也有别于远洋沉积物，而与弧后盆地沉积物类似。结合1/δCe-LREE/HREE和LREE/HREE-Y/Ho判别图解结果，研究区沉积物物源结构属性应介于边缘海沉积物与远洋沉积物之间，为洋陆过渡区沉积。     

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of nano-sized metal-organic framework; a simple method to explore selective and fast Congo Red adsorption

A novel mixed linker Metal-organic Framework, [Co(NH₂IsoBDC)(bpfn)].DMF (TMU-69), with amide and amino functionalized spacers (bpfn = N,N'-(naphthalene-1,5-diyl)diisonicotinamide, NH₂IsoBDCH₂ = 5-Aminoisophthalic acid) was synthesized through both solvothermal and ultrasonic approaches. Applying sonochemical irradiation led to ultrafast formation of Flower-shaped nanoplates of TMU-69 within 15 min with high yield while, solvothermal method takes 3 days to form the framework. Control of size and morphology was also enhanced through applying ultrasonic irradiations. The implication of applied time and concentration of reagents on size and morphology of nano-structured TMU-69 have been optimized. Applying higher concentration of initial material with optimized 60-minute irradiation forms uniform smaller sized nanoplates of TMU-69. Also, the efficiency of TMU-69 bulk and nanoplates toward removal of pollutant dyes from water was investigated. The selective adsorption of Congo Red was observed among other dyes. Also, drastic enhancement in removal kinetic of Congo Red through using ultrasonic assisted nanoplates of TMU-69 was obtained.     

Environmental remediation by hydroxyapatite: Solid state synthesis utilizing waste chicken eggshell and adsorption experiment with Congo red dye

This study reports the adsorption efficacy of hydroxyapatite (HAp) for removing Congo Red (CR) dye from aqueous solution. HAp was synthesized utilizing chicken eggshell as a precursor of Ca source. Solid state synthesis method was implemented which comprised calcination at 950 °C (E-HAp950). XRD analysis confirmed the formation of bi-phasic HAp with 15.5% of β-TCP. Elemental composition was evaluated by XPS and EDX analysis. FESEM analysis revealed the particles are of plate and spherical shaped also confirmed by the TEM images. DLS particle size, zeta potential, BET surface area and point of zero charge were also evaluated. Adsorption efficacy of E-HAp950 for removing CR was evaluated by batch adsorption experiment. Maximum adsorption capacity (q_max) was found to be 9.64 mgg⁻¹ which was best explained by the non-linear fitting (R² = 0.98) of Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption kinetics profusely followed pseudo second order kinetic model (R² = 0.999) with q_{e (experimental)} being very much closer to q_{e (calculative)} for this model. Thus, hydroxyapatite prepared by utilizing eggshell waste through solid state method has the potential to remove toxic dyes.     

Mapping the Complete Photocycle that Powers a Large Stokes Shift Red Fluorescent Protein

Large Stokes shift (LSS) red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) are highly desirable for bioimaging advances. The RFP mKeima, with coexisting cis- and trans-isomers, holds significance as an archetypal system for LSS emission due to excited-state proton transfer (ESPT), yet the mechanisms remain elusive. We implemented femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) and various time-resolved electronic spectroscopies, aided by quantum calculations, to dissect the cis- and trans-mKeima photocycle from ESPT, isomerization, to ground-state proton transfer in solution. This work manifests the power of FSRS with global analysis to resolve Raman fingerprints of intermediate states. Importantly, the deprotonated trans-isomer governs LSS emission at 620 nm, while the deprotonated cis-isomer's 520 nm emission is weak due to an ultrafast cis-to-trans isomerization. Complementary spectroscopic techniques as a table-top toolset are thus essential to study photochemistry in physiological environments.     

Boron-Dipyrromethene-Based Fluorescent Emitters Enable High-Performance Narrowband Red Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Narrowband organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are receiving significant attention and have demonstrated impressive performance in blue and green OLEDs. However, developing high-performance narrowband red OLEDs remains a highly desired yet challenging task. Herein, we have developed narrowband red fluorescent emitters by utilizing a boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) skeleton in combination with a methyl-shield strategy. These emitters exhibit small full-width at half-maxima (FWHM) ranging from 21 nm (0.068 eV) to 25 nm (0.081 eV) and high photoluminescence quantum yields (Φ_PL) ranging from 88.5 % to 99.0 % in toluene solution. Using BODIPY-based luminescent materials as emitters, high-performance narrowband red OLEDs have been assembled with external quantum efficiency as high as 18.3 % at 623 nm and 21.1 % at 604 nm. This work represents, to our knowledge, the first successful case of achieving NTSC pure-red OLEDs with the Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage (CIE) coordinates of [0.67, 0.33] based on conventional fluorescent emitters.     

Kinetics and products of ozonation of C.I. Reactive Red 195 in a semi-batch reactor

Textile wastewater shows great threats to the environment if not well pretreated before discharge. A promising technique, ozonation, was applied to remove the color in dye solutions containing C.I. Reactive Red 195 (RR195) in a semi-batch reactor. The decolorization of RR195 by the ozone process followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. Several factors which influenced the efficiency of decolorization were studied and the reaction rate constant (k) obtained with different operational parameters was compared. Our results showed that RR195 was more easily degraded in acidic than in alkaline conditions. The dyeing auxiliaries (sodium carbonate and sodium chloride) that acted as radical scavengers could enhance the decolorization process, and the ozonation time for total color removal lengthened if the initial dye concentration was higher. The analysis of the ozonation products was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer and a possible degradation pathway was predicted according to the ozonation products and structure of RR195. Our results indicated that ozonation was effective in the color removal of dyes, but further treatment might be necessary since the ozonation products are high toxic.     

Antibacterial and antifungal LDPE films for active packaging

Active antimicrobial packaging is a promising form of active packaging that can kill or inhibit microorganism growth in order to maintain product quality and safety. One of the most common approaches is based on the release of volatile antimicrobial agents from the packaging material such as essential oils. Due to their highly volatile nature, the challenge is to preserve the essential oils during the high‐temperature melt processing of the polymer, while maintaining high antimicrobial activity for a desired shelf life. This study suggests a new approach in order to achieve this goal. Antimicrobial active films are developed based on low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), organo‐modified montmorillonite clays (MMT) and carvacrol (used as an essential oil model). In order to minimize carvacrol loss throughout the polymer compounding, a pre‐compounding step is developed in which clay/carvacrol hybrids are produced. The hybrids exhibit a significant increase in the d‐spacing of clay and enhanced thermal stability. The resulting LDPE/(clay/carvacrol) films exhibit superior and prolonged antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua, while polymer compounded with pure carvacrol loses the antibacterial properties within days. The films also present an excellent antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata, used as a model plant pathogenic fungus. Furthermore, infrared spectroscopy analysis of the LDPE/(clay/carvacrol) system displayed significantly higher carvacrol content in the film as well as a slower out‐diffusion of the carvacrol molecules in comparison to LDPE/carvacrol films. Thus, these new films have a high potential for antimicrobial food packaging applications due to their long‐lasting and broad‐spectrum antimicrobial efficacy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of chlorophenols in red wine using ionic liquid countercurrent chromatography as a new pretreatment method followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography

A countercurrent chromatography method for the enrichment and cleanup of chlorophenols from food samples was successfully established by using an ionic‐liquid‐modified two‐phase solvent system composed of dichloromethane containing 2% 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and water. The column was firstly filled with the organic stationary phase, and then a large volume of sample was pumped into the column after it was equilibrated with pure water at the rotation speed. Finally, the trace amounts of chlorophenols extracted and enriched in the stationary phase were eluted out by an alkaline mobile phase and determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Under optimized conditions, the enrichment and cleanup of the chlorophenols can be fulfilled online with enrichment factors (34–65) and high recoveries (84.69–95.23%). The method has been applied to the determination of chlorophenols in real red wine samples with the limits of detection in the range of 1.89–4.21 μg/L. The present method is highly suitable for the pretreatment of large volume of aqueous sample for the determination of trace amounts of contaminants in food and environmental samples.